Book Club Discussion Questions

Answered By The Historical Fiction Author Jacob Singer

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INTERVIEW WITH AN AUTHORBY PSYMON H.

Our Book Club discussion questions center around the controversial
Historical Fiction novel "The Vase With The Many Coloured Marbles." South African born Jacob Singer books his
seat for an “Interview With An Author” and opens up on a topic others would
love to brush under the carpet.

The book is a story about the fight against apartheid
in South Africa outlining the horror of apartheid, practiced in the
world today by countries that suppress the rights of its people based on the
color of their skin; the religion they practice and believe in, and their
sexuality, where women are regarded as second class citizens with no rights. Before
we lead this book club discussion questions article, we set the scene with
Jacob’s book summary.

The
Vase with the Many Coloured Marbles is a story is about a young girl, Emily
Kleintjies, born into the apartheid system of South Africa. Emily was
classified by the South African race laws of that time as being a Coloured. In
the 19th Century, the Coloured people of South Africa had similar rights to the
Whites in the Cape Colony, though income and property qualifications affected
them disproportionately. In the rest of South Africa, they had far fewer
rights, and although the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910
gave them the right to vote, they were restricted to electing White
representatives only.

“You must understand, Emily,” her father mumbled, “as
part of the Coloured Community in South Africa, today we are classified as
second class citizens by the government.”

“What does that mean?” Emily asked,
not quite understanding what he was saying. “You have grown up in District Six,
amongst both Blacks and Whites, and you have been treated as equals by them.
South Africa as a whole does not treat us as equals. The Whites come first, we
the Coloureds with the Indians second, and the Blacks are at the bottom with
the Coolies and Chinese somewhere in-between. When you go into Cape Town
proper, you have seen benches marked, ‘For Whites Only.’ We as Coloureds are
not allowed to sit on those benches.”

“But I have often sat on them, and no-one
has bothered me,” Emily interrupted. “I know,” her father answered, “that is
because you were born with a lighter skin than any of us, and with hair that is
light brown, long and straight. No
White would think you were a Coloured. I know of many in our community who are
angry at these laws, where the Whites squeeze us from the top, while the Blacks
squeeze us from the bottom. We have to take cheap work, because the Whites do
not believe that we are as clever as they are. They treat us like slaves, while
many of our women are treated like whores at night, and our children age and
die long before they should.”

One afternoon, as Emily walked through the city, she
found that the wind was blowing hard off Devil’s Peak. With the winter rain
that started, she was soon chilled to the bone. She looked around her at the
comfort of the Whites as they sat eating, drinking and laughing in the numerous
restaurants.

She was so cold. Hiding her nervousness she boldly walked into one
of the restaurants and sat down at a table. After reading the menu, looking
carefully at the prices charged, she ordered something to eat. In the past, she
would never have thought of visiting these establishments, but now she was
rebelling.

When she had finished eating, she remained sitting at the table,
admiring the view overlooking the harbor. ‘This is what we are missing’ she
thought. ‘I could never bring my parents, brothers or sisters here. The only
way they could come into this place would be as servants, working in the
kitchen.’ She came to a decision. ‘I must become a White, not an Afrikaner
White, but an English White. I
don’t want to be an Afrikaner White because they hate us Coloureds.

This story
is about how Emily changed her name to Emma Kline. This is Emma’s story, how
she crosses the color barrier, and how she enters the white community, but not
in Cape Town where she was born, but in Johannesburg. She meets a young man who
is a White, and has a baby with him. He is killed in WWII, leaving her with a
daughter, Marla. She becomes determined that Marla will grow up a White, and
never know of her Coloured background.﻿

Our Book Club Discussion Questions For This Interview Starts Here

The Book Club Discussion Questions 1….I was intrigued to
read more after digesting the summary and can only imagine what research must
have gone into formulating this book. What has been your readers reaction
firstly towards the story and secondly towards the subject matter?

JACOB: good question; I have had numerous
emails from readers who told me that they absolutely loved the read. They enjoyed the story,
which is about 86% based on truth. We had readers ask me many questions, but I
refused to answer a number, especially on the subject of whether the characters in the book
are based on real people. Many readers tell me that they wish the South
African leaders would read the book, and so realize how they are
failing the country today.

The Book Club Discussion Questions 2.. Being a black man
growing up in the UK I can remember my own little struggles in a changing
society, but can only imagine life in South Africa in 1910. Can you share a
little taster of Emma’s struggle raising her daughter not to know her Coloured
background?

JACOB: Emma
was lucky. On the train going to Johannesburg, she befriended a lady who found
her a job. Because she was introduced by this friend, the employer assumed she
was a WHITE, and employed her as a White. She fell in love with, Eric O'Neil, a
White man, but refused to marry him because she never had a birth certificate. She
never told him this. However, on the night before he went to war in North
Africa, in 1941, out of her love for him, they made love, and she forgot to
protect herself.

She
simply never told her daughter about her grandparents in Cape Town. Marla
accepted Charlie and Christa Stuart who live in Potchefstroom as her
grandparents. They were parents of a friend Emma had made. Charlie, originally
from Scotland, was a man who fought the apartheid system in South Africa. When
he found out that Emma was a Coloured, he helped her and Marla in every way
possible.

The Book Club Discussion Questions 3.. As the author, what
did you learn when writing this book?

JACOB: Reliving
past memories was painful. The book had to be written; Emma’s story had to be told. The horror of apartheid
must be fully explained to the world as a form of Nazism. Any country that
discriminates against its citizens in any way, are practicing apartheid, even
if it is religious.

The Book Club Discussion Questions 4..What do you hope your
readers take away from reading this story?

JOCOB:
To learn about how we lived in South Africa during the era
of racial discrimination. To also learn that it will take three generations of westernized
education before the Africans will govern the country properly. The apartheid
regime deliberately undereducated the African and any race that was not White,
to keep them as servants. Those ruling South Africa today were not properly
educated, and still practice tribal laws. As I once said when I overheard an
African American joyfully shout when he watch the Dance of the Maidens in
Swaziland. These are my people.I told him, the only thing you have in common with them is the colour of
your skin and your curly hair.

Regards Jacob.﻿

Psymon H. I would like to thank Jacob for a truly eye opening book club discussion questions interview and wish him the very best with this and future book projects. If you would like to purchase this book , please scroll to the top right hand of this page. If you've read this title and want to leave your thoughts or you have a question you wish to ask the author, please leave them in the comments area below.

Thank you for taking the time to read this "Interview With An Author."

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